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\q04-10072-10024 | 2025 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992 |

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10 May 1982
0 Dear “Dass I
VALERIY VLADIMIROVICH KOSTIKOV— °

1. Please refer to our conversation of 6 May. KOSTIKOV, born 17 March
1933, Moscow, was posted to Beirut in 1978 as lst Secretary and may still
be there. He is identified KGB and served in Mexico City from 1961-71.
There is a reference to him on page 307 of BARRON's KGB which suggests
that he may have been Department V. We do not appear to have asked LYALIN
about him, and are now doing so.

2. We also note that EPSTEIN in "Legend" claims that according to a CIA
telecheck KOSTIKOV was Lee Harvey OSWALD's KGB case officer in Mexico City.
According to BARRON (page 335) OSWALD was in Mexico between September and
November 1963 and was seeking to obtain a Soviet visa. There was certainly
a KGB interest in OSWALD, although according to NOSENKO this was defensive.

3. The reason for our current interest in KOSTIKOV will be obvious. As
you are aware, our Embassy in Beirut, in common with other Western Missions,
has been subject threats and violence in recent months, and in view of
earlier hostile attentions from the KGB, we have been reviewing our records

of KGB staff in the area who might have been involved in promoting strong-arm
tactics.

4. We would be grateful for your views as to whether the KGB are likely to
be behind any of the recent incidents (possibly through the Syrians) and for
any information on KOSTIKOV and his activities in Mexico and in Beirut. In
particular, what are your comments on the OSWALD story; can you confirm that
KOSTIKOV is still in Beirut; is there anyone else in Beirut or Damascus whose
‘trace record suggests an Active Measures role, or worse?

5. We should be grateful for an early reply and as I said on 6 May will treat
anything you can tell us on a strictly Service to Service basis.

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Yours ever

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